You should meet John. He’s four. You saved his life. He was a normal, playful little boy, living outside Jinotega in Nicaragua.

But he started complaining of pain in his stomach. Maybe a bit of bad food, his mother figured. But the pains kept coming — and kept getting worse. John’s energy drained away. He stopped playing. He stopped smiling. They went to a local doctor, but he couldn’t figure out the source of the little boy’s terrible, mysterious pain. His mother found another doctor, and yet another. No luck there either. What they didn’t know was that John had an unusual “mesenteric cyst” deep inside his small intestine — a problem so rare, only 820 cases have been reported anywhere worldwide.

This is a cyst that can perforate the intestine — start internal hemorrhaging — infection — tissue death — and trigger two deadly forms of cancer. But your love stepped in … and rewrote the ending. Your generous support of Esperança enabled us to send a pediatric mission to Jinotega. Dr. Custer and his team looked at John and saw trouble. They scheduled surgery for the very next day. In an intense and complicated operation, three surgeons worked together to remove a very large cyst from a very small boy. Little John was a trouper. After three days of post-op observation, he was back to his old self … laughing, chattering,

playing. His mother could not stop thanking the doctors — and thanking God — for sparing her son’s life.

From the desk and comments from Robert Craig – Esperanҫa Boardmember and Esperanҫa Traveler

Three days after surgery to correct a disfiguring cleft lip, nine year-old Gabriela broke her silence. Accompanied by an adult neighbor from her village, she walked from the pediatric ward and sat at the nurse’s station where members of Dr. Nick Retson’s volunteer surgical team huddled daily to manage surgical supplies and nurse the recovering patients’ incisions to ensure proper healing before their often long journeys home.

The shy girl who arrived five days earlier for evaluation with her hand always covering her face spoke through her interpreter who said, “Gabriela wants to know if she can give you a hug.” This is when you know that Esperanҫa transforms lives.

This February I will return to Jinotega with my wife Robin who will photograph the work of Esperanҫa and their partner AVODEC. Our mission is to help tell the stories of the people we serve through surgical missions and community development projects.

My previous trip with the volunteer surgical team was a true light, to see how everyone plays a role to create a successful mission. You have the surgical teams that dedicate their skill and time away from their offices and patients back home, responsible for bringing all surgical supplies and paying all international travel and local in-country costs. Next is the local partner, AVODEC, who provides local medical mission management. Led by Luis Lanzas, the Medical Mission Coordinator, AVODEC maintains Esperanҫa’s relationship with the hospital ensuring they are prepared to allocate the necessary facilities and extra local medical staff.

But perhaps the most important task is to find the people most in need of surgery—the kind not available to local doctors and surgeons—and bring them to the hospital. From the start of the mission surgical teams hit the ground running, and they want candidates pre-selected, ready for triage on day one, with as many surgeries as time will allow. This requires AVODEC/Esperanҫa to ensure that the people in need are there and ready to have their lives transformed by our surgeons.

The Jinotega Department (think of a “state”) is the largest of Nicaragua’s 15 departments. It stretches from the city of Jinotega on the southern end to the Honduran border and the huge Bosawas Natural Reserve which makes up almost half of this department. To find patients for the different types of surgery, Mr. Lanzas and Dr. David Quezada travel for days, by truck, by foot, and on the rivers by “cayuco”, a motorized wooden longboat, stopping to visit villages in some of the most remote parts of Central America.

This is where you find people with the most severe cleft lips and palates. Clefts are birth defects with a strong genetic component and wide variation between different ethnic groups. Native Central Americans not only have one of the highest incidences of clefts, but also the most severe. When Luis and David reach the far edge of Jinotega district, a three day 280 km journey down Rio Coco bordering Honduras toward the North Atlantic Autonomous Region of Nicaragua, they are in an area populated by indigenous people with distinct ethnicity, language and culture. And their children suffer disproportionately from clefts.

These are the people most in need. People who subsist on farming and fishing, and may have never seen a hospital, People with limited means to travel great distances. As Dr. Retson says, “these are exactly the people I want to treat.”

On February 19 Robin and I will board our flight for Managua on our way to Jinotega. AVODEC has graciously agreed to take us on this journey to the villages to find more patients for Dr. Retson. On this upcoming mission he is bringing two dentists, who will add another valuable dimension to the work of restoring patients to good health. We may also be reunited with Gabriela and her dad in her remote village in the Miskito region.

As a board member of Esperanҫa, I am grateful for the opportunity to see how our donors contribute to the incredible team effort that has made possible over 7 surgical missions in Jinotega last year alone, transforming the lives of 265 patients and their families, and spreading goodwill from our communities in the USA as those patients return to their families, schools, and communities.

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/jinotega-for-esperan%d2%aba-mission-possible/feed/0Esperança’s CADEP Program Recognizedhttp://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/cop20/
http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/cop20/#commentsMon, 02 Feb 2015 08:00:59 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4612Esperança’s program partner CADEP in Peru was recently nominated for an award for its ecological housing program in the COP 20, which is a United Nations sponsored Climate Conference that took place in Lima. They received 400 applications and CADEP ranked 7th overall!

The CADEP Program that Esperança supports provides food security and housing improvements to thousands of people in Peru. The partnership started in 2014 and has seen great results! So far, Esperança has accomplished:

Distribution of seeds re-introducing native crops to benefit 778 families in cold, mountainous regions where food is hard to grow; this also included training and technical support.

Additionally, they constructed 49 ecological homes in four rural highland communities benefitting 49 families directly and 13, 250 people indirectly through training and workshops on home building and associated projects such as irrigation, more efficient farming practices and efficient use of local resources for home and land improvement projects.

Join us in congratulating our partnership in Peru on this outstanding recognition! To learn more about the CADEP program or make a donation, contact Jared Leslie at 602-252-772 ext 101 or email jared@esperanca.org

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/cop20/feed/0Esperança To Benefit From CitySolve Urban Race Phoenixhttp://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/esperanca-to-benefit-from-citysolve-urban-race-phoenix/
http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/esperanca-to-benefit-from-citysolve-urban-race-phoenix/#commentsFri, 23 Jan 2015 20:33:34 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4606Tickets are on sale now for the CitySolve Urban Race Phoenix on Saturday, March 21, 2015. This adventure race is a mash up of The Amazing Race and pub trivia. Teams of four people solve ten clues centered on pop-culture and face fun interactive activities all over Phoenix. This Phoenix Amazing Race style scavenger hunt might take you and your friends through Encanto, Downtown, Uptown and many great places in between.

Tickets are $25 each until January 27 and will increase to $65 on race day. Esperança is proud to announce we will receive $8 from each registration for the event. Grab your friends, colleagues or family and register in teams of four and help raise money for Esperança.

What is the best way to learn something new? You learn from the best! Juan is one of the finest farmers in Jinotega, Nicaragua. He has dedicated his life to agriculture and the production of basic grains. At 63 years of age, his wife and 8 children support Juan in his work and his service to the community as a health volunteer, church leader and Esperança volunteer. today he and his family are pillars of leadership in the community. But, there was a time when Juan and his family were barely surviving, living with limited resources. He had no hope of additional income for a better quality of life. Little did Juan know, but Cacao also known as chocolate was going to transform his family’s life.

In 2011 Juan took a chance, and because of your support he was selected to be a part of a new organic cacao project. The goal of the project was to introduce organic cacao growing to farmers in rural Nicaragua, creating an opportunity for economic growth for the benefiting families. Right from the beginning of the project we could see the leadership of Juan’s experience and passion as a farmer emerge. He quickly became the leader of the farmers benefiting from the organic cacao program.

He organized program beneficiaries into groups of 10 farmers per community served by this project. After Juan went through the training on growing the new crop, he provided training and technical assistance to other growers, volunteered to prepare the land with them, and helped clean and disinfect it in preparation for organic growing.

Juan used his years of experience growing other crops to recommend supplies such as bio-fertilizers and natural insecticides. Once the seed growing period had been completed, the cacao trees needed to be properly cared for in order for them to produce. Through this time Juan dedicated himself to ensuring that the cacao seedlings were tended properly. His wife María was alongside him during this whole time, in the fields with him, at meetings with him. She did this to show that she supported this new effort for their family.

Now we arrive at 2014-2015 when the cacao trees have reached maturity and are starting to produce. These cash crops need access to the local markets and that is where Juan’s and his family’s hard work is paying off. With your help Esperanca is now building a storage and processing facility that will allow Juan and other growers to store and market their cacao! Juan is thrilled now that he is able to earn a living and market his product at a good price. With his hard work and dedication, he has been able to expand his plot of land, which will yield more cacao plants and beans with each growing season. This will increase his income and bring a better quality of life to his whole family while at the same time continuing to increase his production year after year.

Flor will be responsible for coordinating all meetings and functions for the Board of Directors, overseeing all aspects of office administration and providing administrative support to the CEO, program and administrative staff.

Flor de Maria’s most recent positions were with FACES of Crisis Nursery and The Salvation Army: Phoenix Central Corps. Chavez holds a Bachelor of Science in Nonprofit Leadership & Management from Arizona State University and an Associate of Arts in Elementary Education. She also holds a Certified Nonprofit Professional Certificate (CNP).

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/4592/feed/0Esperança Honored as 2014 Top-Rated Nonprofit GreatNonprofits.org Award is based on Positive Online Reviewshttp://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/esperanca-honored-as-2014-top-rated-nonprofit-greatnonprofits-org-award-is-based-on-positive-online-reviews/
http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/esperanca-honored-as-2014-top-rated-nonprofit-greatnonprofits-org-award-is-based-on-positive-online-reviews/#commentsSat, 20 Dec 2014 23:21:59 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4565Esperança has been honored with a prestigious 2014 Top-Rated Award by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews about nonprofit organizations.

“We are excited to be named a Top-Rated 2014 Nonprofit,” says Tom Egan, president and CEO of Esperança. “We are proud of our accomplishments this year. Our successes that impact health directly include our volunteer surgical teams transforming the lives of over 1,500 rural villagers, and educating tens of thousands of Bolivians to prevent tropical diseases that kill 30% of their population. Our successes in community health include providing clean water for hundreds in Nicaragua, and building the first safe housing villagers in the highlands in Peru have ever owned”.

The Top-Rated Nonprofit award was based on the large number of positive reviews that Esperança received – reviews written by volunteers, donors and clients. People posted their personal experience with the nonprofit.

Being on the Top-Rated list gives donors and volunteers more confidence that this is a credible organization. The reviews by volunteers, clients and other donors show the on-the-ground results of this nonprofit. This award is a form of recognition by the community.

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/esperanca-honored-as-2014-top-rated-nonprofit-greatnonprofits-org-award-is-based-on-positive-online-reviews/feed/0Dollar for Dollar Match in Decemberhttp://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/dollar-for-dollar-match-in-december/
http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/dollar-for-dollar-match-in-december/#commentsWed, 17 Dec 2014 23:13:04 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4572Christmas Eve, there’s a picture of it, already, in your head, in your heart, Ornaments and lights. Presents under the tree. Children snuggled safe in their beds, squirming with anticipation. But the picture is very, very different for the children and families we serve. This Christmas, they’ll be walking. Trudging, on foot,mile after mile, simply to stay alive.

Water for Survival
• The families we serve walk an average of three miles every single day of the year — to find water. Children often have the chore of fetching water for the entire family, so they can’t go to school. They even have to make the trek when they’re sick — because there’s no way to survive without water. And even then, the water they bring back is dirty, unsafe and yet it’s all they have. We need to dig more wells.

Growing Their Own Food
• Many of the parents we serve have to walk long distances to find work — they leave home before dawn, return after dark, leave young children alone all day. They have no choice — even though their wages are pitifully small. There’s no alternative. But for $80, we can get a family started raising chickens or pigs, growing a garden, planting crops. Parents can stay home with their children. The children eat better, and get back in school. We need to help more families grow their own food.

Surgical Mission Teams
• Some people walk hundreds of miles — for surgery. One woman carried her baby boy more than 2,000 miles to reach an Esperança surgeon. We can hardly imagine such a thing. Surgery is traumatic for anyone, but I can hardly fathom the pain of having to walk hundreds of miles to find help. It only costs $7,000 to send an entire surgical mission
team to a needy area — and each team averages as many as 45 surgeries. That’s about $156 for an operation (another mind-blowing number). We need to send more surgical mission teams.

I invite you to look through the gift catalog. You’ll find many different ways to change the lives of children and families in serious need. The Matching Challenge applies to anything in this catalog and any additional items. Your pledge will be DOUBLED this month due to our board of directors agreeing to match your gifts up to $100,000!

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/dollar-for-dollar-match-in-december/feed/0Esperança Earns 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigatorhttp://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/esperanca-earns-4-star-rating-from-charity-navigator/
http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/esperanca-earns-4-star-rating-from-charity-navigator/#commentsTue, 09 Dec 2014 18:54:02 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4563Esperança has earned the highest rating available from Charity Navigator, America’s premier charity evaluator. They awarded its coveted four-star rating to Esperanca for “sound fiscal management”. Esperança is one of only 37 four-star charities in the state of Arizona.

“Approximately a quarter of the charities we evaluate have received our highest rating, indicating that Esperança outperforms most other charities in America,” said Ken Berger, President & CEO, Charity Navigator. “This ‘exceptional’ designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Esperanca from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust.”

Charity Navigator works to help charitable givers make intelligent decisions by evaluating charities’ financial health and efficiency. It calculates each charity’s score based upon several broad criteria, including how much is spent per dollar raised, what percentage of funds goes to programs vs. administrative and fund-raising expenses, and the organization’s long-term financial health. It then assigns a rating from one to four, with four being the best rating.

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/esperanca-earns-4-star-rating-from-charity-navigator/feed/0Hope for Paulahttp://www.esperanca.org/success-stories/hope-for-paula/
http://www.esperanca.org/success-stories/hope-for-paula/#commentsWed, 03 Dec 2014 16:15:46 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4555Paula is a 40 year old mother of 5 with limited resources and few options for health care in the small community of Sarawaska about 25 kilometers away from the city of Jinotega, Nicaragua where Esperanҫa operates. Paula has had to deal with two major medical conditions over the years. Her first condition is epilepsy, a condition that causes uncontrollable seizures and is managed by medication. She currently takes medication 3 times a day to control her seizures but this poses a challenge. She also developed gallstones, and with her epileptic condition no local doctors would operate on her. This means for the past four years she has lived with the pain that is associated with gallstones with no chance of relief. The gallstones had reached a point where she could no longer function with the pain they caused.

Then she heard about the surgical mission that Esperanҫa was sending to Jinotega with Dr. Inglis and his general surgical team, and there was hope for Paula. She leapt at even the chance of being considered for the surgical mission and the first day of the mission she was there and ready to be evaluated for surgery. She came prepared and was cleared for surgery and was placed on the schedule for the week. When her surgery time came, it went off without a hitch. She was so grateful for the amazing team and supporters like you that made it possible for her to function again.

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/success-stories/hope-for-paula/feed/0#GivingTuesdayhttp://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/givingtuesday/
http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/givingtuesday/#commentsTue, 02 Dec 2014 17:44:58 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4539Today is #GivingTuesday and that means a lot to those who support Esperança and our mission, this means your donation will be doubled! Your donation from today and throughout this month is doubled up to $100,000. Because of this generous matching campaign and friends like you we have saved hundreds of lives by bringing hope through sustainable disease prevention and treatment. This means:

Clean Water – In the developing countries we serve, contaminated water is at the root of much of the needless sickness and death we see in rural villages. Esperança locates fresh, clean underground water sources and provides villagers with the training and materials needed to bring this precious resource to their community.

Micro Business Loans – Many of the families we serve in rural areas just barely survive on the income each family member contributes. Esperança can create a new source of
income by providing a set of chickens, a sack of quinoa seeds, or even a pig. In time, these resources pay for themselves and enable the family to pay back the loan and spread the same life-changing opportunity to another family in need.

Health Education – Much of the sickness not caused by contaminated water can be avoided by basic changes to lifestyle habits such as using soap or sleeping under a mosquito net. Esperança provides health education and training – teaching the local residents why they get sick and how they can prevent sickness in the future. Materials are also provided to help families make these life-saving changes.

Home Building – Thousands of families around the world live in unsafe, unsanitary houses built out of sticks, mud and other debris. Esperança provides the materials and training needed in order for these families to build safe homes they can call their own.

So much is accomplished through your support! Help me give Esperança a great head start next year by giving a special #GivinigTuesday gift.

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/press/4531/feed/0Dixon’s Wishes are Answeredhttp://www.esperanca.org/success-stories/dixons-wishes-are-answered/
http://www.esperanca.org/success-stories/dixons-wishes-are-answered/#commentsSat, 22 Nov 2014 21:17:04 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4091Meet one of the children that has been saved, 10-year-old Dixon who lives in El Pavón, Rio Blanco, Nicaragua. He hated going to school, where the other children made fun of his severe cleft lip.

Knowing that education was Dixon’s best hope for a better future, and wanting the best of everything for her son, his mother had sought help to repair his cleft when he was younger. The local doctors told her that she would need to travel a great distance from home to reach the doctors that had the skill to provide the surgery and that it would be very costly for the surgery itself. She knew that she could not afford even the trip, let alone the expensive surgery.

Out of options, Dixon and his family resigned themselves to a lifetime of teasing and prejudice. This was when hope arrived over the radio in the form of Esperanҫa. His mother heard an announcement that Esperança was sending a plastic surgeon from the United States to Jinotega to operate for free on children with problems like Dixon’s.

Although Dixon and his mother live only 65 miles from Jinotega in the Department of Matagalpa, it was still a long and costly journey for them. They had to travel on foot much of the way, and they had to spend precious money to buy food as well. However, Dixon’s mother knew it was a good investment of time and money since she so wanted to transform her son’s life. At the completion of Dixon’s surgery, the entire family was very happy with the outcome. This will allow him to live a life free from the prejudice a cleft lip brings.

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/success-stories/dixons-wishes-are-answered/feed/1World Toilet Day – 11/19/14http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/world-toilet-day-111914/
http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/world-toilet-day-111914/#commentsWed, 19 Nov 2014 15:57:37 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=45264,438: That’s how many children cholera and typhoid kill every day in places like Nicaragua.

To Americans like you and me, these are illnesses out of our history books, dangers faced by our forefathers and the pioneers of the old west. But in places like Santa Amalia, the threat is still very real.You see, cholera and typhoid are spread through poor sanitation and in villages like this one uncontained waste isstill a huge issue. Where there are no restroom facilities, waste is easily tracked into homes; it contaminates local ground water and even taints food stores when spread by vermin and other pests.That’s why last year Esperança committed to a two phase construction project aimed at eliminating both of these threats to Santa Amalia.With the loving support of friends like you, phase one has just been completed. We were able to provide half of this village with the materials and technical guidance needed to construct latrines – outdoor toilets essential to the safety of their children.

These are people who, for generations, have lived with a horrifying reality. They’ve had to come to terms with the fact that each new day might be the one that takes their children away from them. As a parent, it’s hard to imagine the constant fear they’ve had to live with – or the immense relief they now enjoy thanks to your partnership!

Today 140 families in Santa Amalia are now protected from these lethal threats!

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/world-toilet-day-111914/feed/0Run For The Pour Race Results 2014http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/results-2014/
http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/results-2014/#commentsTue, 18 Nov 2014 21:34:26 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4498A special thank you to all of those that supported the Run for the Pour this year!

This November, nearly 80 students both at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus in Mesa and the Tempe campus will abstain from modern-day luxuries and challenge themselves to live on two dollars a day and in cardboard-box houses. The Two Dollar Challenge will take place Nov. 17 -20th at the Polytechnic Campus and Nov.12 -14th at the main campus.

This November, nearly 80 students both at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus in Mesa and the Tempe campus will abstain from modern-day luxuries and challenge themselves to live on two dollars a day and in cardboard-box houses. The Two Dollar Challenge will take place Nov. 17 -20th at the Polytechnic Campus and Nov.12 -14th at the main campus.

The Two Dollar Challenge, a national experiential learning exercise and poverty action program, is designed to give students an opportunity to step out of their daily lives and more tangibly reflect upon the daily and prolonged challenges of living in poverty while raising awareness and funds to support economic development organizations.

This Challenge is distinct from your average charity drive for three reasons. First, it asks students to restrict their consumption and live by other rules designed to simulate poverty. This experience gives students a glimpse of how nearly half of the world’s population lives every day on $2 a day. Second, the Two Dollar Challenge participants will raise funds for the cause of their choice. Third, through the experience and accompanying discussion students are educated about the complexity of world poverty. Student groups can become immediate actors in the eradication of global poverty and gain the experience to become passionate leaders in the field for the future.

The Two Dollar Challenge will take place Nov. 17-20th at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus, located at 7001 E Williams Field Rd, in Mesa and Nov. 12-14th on the Tempe campus on the lawn of the Barrett Honors College, located 751 E Lemon Mall in Tempe. Students will convene outside the Student Union and plan to live in cardboard boxes for five days.

“We’re really excited to have the Tempe campus on board, and help with the growth of this movement” said Mark Henderson, engineering professor and co-founder of GlobalResolve at ASU’s in the Ira A Fulton Schools of Engineering on the Polytechnic campus. “We are expecting a great turn from the students at both campuses.”

Esperança is a nonprofit that improves health and provides hope for families in the poorest communities of the world through sustainable disease prevention, education and treatment.

“We’re gaining momentum each year with the Two Dollar Challenge,” said Tom Egan, executive director, Esperança. “It’s really neat to see the students embrace the challenge. They are learning a great deal about poverty and how to survive on little to nothing. It’s very admirable that they are attempting to walk in someone else’s shoes.”

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/two-dollar-challenge-2014/feed/0Home for the Holidayshttp://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/home-for-the-holidays-2/
http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/home-for-the-holidays-2/#commentsTue, 11 Nov 2014 19:05:54 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4492When you go home for the holidays it is easy to say “Turn up the heat.”

You don’t think much of that when winter comes to your to your community and you want to be comfortable in your home. In, fact it is the norm that everyone has heat is in their house.

But let me take you for a moment to someplace altogether different from the norm, rural Peru. I am speaking of regions that are on the outskirts of Cusco, where you can get as high as 14,000 feet above sea level in the mountains. In this place where people call home the air is thin and the nights are frigid and for generations people have made due.

For the thousands we serve in the area there are no thermostat’s in their home, which means no heat. Their walls are made of found materials and sticks that do little to keep the wind out. These conditions expose them and their children to hypothermia and an existence of illness.

In fact, more than 80% of the people here suffer from respiratory illnesses- it’s the biggest killer in this region. The most vulnerable of all are the children.

But, there is hope because of you. With your help today, we will provide materials and guidance to help families build new, safe, warm homes.

Better yet, these homes will be heated with a free source of power — the sun itself. By the attaching green houses to homes we can harness the warmth of the sun to grow nutritious vegetables during the day. And at night the heat retaining walls will keep the warmth and save lives. Most importantly, with a solar panel hot water is now a possibility for our families.

Most amazing of all: a wonderful home like this costs only $2,500 to build! By our American Standards, it is an incredible bargain: $700 for the solar panel, $700 for adobe and, $300 for windows and doors, $500 for the green house and $300 for the general supplies. Of course this also includes the hard work of the family that is transforming their lives with this new home to learn our techniques and build their home by hand with us.

I’m grateful to report that we already have enough funds to build 10 homes in Peru this year. But the need is bigger than just these ten homes. We set our sights on building 20 new homes. Homes with heat, light, warm water, access to vegetables and hope for our families.

Our Friends Justo and Natalie can tell you what a beautiful miracle it is. They urgently needed a better home for their two young children that were constantly becoming ill due to the exposure to the cold. We answered those issues with the materials and the blueprints needed to transform their home. Justo and Natalie answered with the volunteers to build with them and the determination to change their lives.

They lugged mud and made adobe bricks for the thicker heat retaining walls. The women compacted the dirt with their feet, and this created a bigger sense of community. Natalie even said, “When we finished our home, we actually missed coming together to work!” Justo learned more about roofing and has turned this into a trade that is supporting his family.

And now their children are not only warm but are growing tomatoes, lettuce, chili peppers, cucumbers and strawberries.

These children will live, thrive and succeed. I am so grateful that friends like you gave generously so we could help them.

But they are not the last family in Peru who need a home. There are others huddled with their children in dark of night with body warmth the only way to fight the cold. Our families on those nights are wishing things were different.

With all my heart, I want to grant that wish

This thanksgiving, I hope you will have the joy of sitting down at your families table knowing that you have given a family in Peru a home for their holidays where they can have warmth. They’ll have hope for the future because of your passion and your decision to donate today.

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/home-for-the-holidays-2/feed/0Esperança Adds Five New Board Membershttp://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/esperanca-adds-six-new-board-members/
http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/esperanca-adds-six-new-board-members/#commentsThu, 30 Oct 2014 17:29:27 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4483Valley Leadership’s has launched a new initiative called LeaderLink, aimed at building the capacity of the nonprofit sector by connecting trained, engaged volunteer leaders with agencies seeking board members. This month, we will add five new board members, four coming from LeaderLink.

“LeaderLink was created because our alumni and program participants are passionate to serve and because the nonprofit sector turns to Valley Leadership for board leader recommendations,” Executive Director Christy Moore said. “We are excited to partner with alum Tom Egan and Esperanca to explore the LeaderLink process for linked nonprofits and volunteer leaders. This partnership will help to identify opportunities to make LeaderLink even more valuable to its users.”

Robert Craig has been a donor and supporter of Esperança for years. He went on his first medical mission trip to Jinotega, Nicaragua in August and is excited to join the board. He brings an extensive background in complex ex-US health care project management and product development to the board. He has traveled to developing counties and met with NGO’s and seen how others approach clean water, sanitation and education.

Mistie Hauge is has a strong background in marketing, public relations, social media, business development, event planning, affiliate sales and marketing, SEO, SEM and web development. She is looking forward to sharing her knowledge with the board.

Freddy Saaverda is a Social Security Disability attorney admitted to practice in Arizona and represents claimants in administrative hearings throughout the southwest. He’s a graduate of Valle Del Sol’s Hispanic Leadership Institute Class 2014. He brings passion, accountability, and creativity to Esperança’s Board. As a former Staff Sergeant in the US Army with service in Bosnia and Iraq, Freddy learned the importance of commitment and follow through as well as the importance of teamwork.

Kenady Sorenson is a development executive at The Sedona Conference. While studying at Arizona State University, she developed a passion for international travel. She studied aboard in Buenos Aires, Argentina and learned Spanish. She is looking forward to participating in this year’s Run for the Pour.

Jorge Alberto Suarez is from Colombia, South America. He knows he can bring the sensibility and culture from the region to the board. He has worked with Nongovernmental organizations in Colombia and is currently a student at the ASU Non-profit Management and Leadership School and education coordinator at Creative Living Fellowship.

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/esperanca-adds-six-new-board-members/feed/0Run for the Pour Set for Nov. 15http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/4439/
http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/4439/#commentsFri, 26 Sep 2014 18:56:41 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4439Did you know thatover 80 percent of disease in the developing world is from contaminated water? Here’s how you can have a direct impact: On Saturday, Nov. 15, we’re holding a “Run for the Pour” at SRP Arizona Falls, located at 5802 E. Indian School Road in Phoenix to ensure that people in Nicaragua will now have access to clean water. The family friendly, 5K walk or run begins at 7:30 a.m. Registration is $35 (includes a t-shirt and goodie bag) from now until Nov. 5 ($40 after Nov. 5).

The 5k run will highlight the process and workings of an actual water system that would be utilized in the developing world. Participants will have the option of carrying a log or bucket to help demonstrate the real life challenges people in developing world’s encounter when working to provide clean water. There will be a prize for those runners that choose to participate in the optional obstacle course.

Board members William Kohl of William Kohl Ins Agency Inc. State Farm and Mark Jones a Technical Program Manager at Verizon will serve as the Co-Chairs for this year’s Run. They will assist with securing sponsors and runners, as well as, behind the scenes planning for the event.

“We’re really glad to have William and Mark’s help,” said Tom Egan, president and CEO of Esperança. “The Run for the Pour is a great way to bring awareness to the issue and give people a glimpse at the real life challenges people in other countries face without access to clean water. We hope the community will come out and take part in this family friendly event.”

For more information or to become a “Run for the Pour” sponsor, call Jared Leslie, development director at (602) 252.7772 ext. 101. To register for the run, visit: http://runforthepour.org.

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/4439/feed/0Esperança’s Uses Valley Leadership’s LeaderLink to Build Boardhttp://www.esperanca.org/press/esperancas-uses-valley-leaderships-leaderlink-to-build-board/
http://www.esperanca.org/press/esperancas-uses-valley-leaderships-leaderlink-to-build-board/#commentsFri, 26 Sep 2014 17:54:06 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4437Esperança is one of the first nonprofits to utilize Valley Leadership’s new initiative LeaderLink, aimed at building the capacity of the nonprofit sector by connecting trained, engaged volunteer leaders with agencies seeking board members.

This month, Esperança will add six new board members, four coming from LeaderLink.

“LeaderLink was created because our alumni and program participants are passionate to serve and because the nonprofit sector turns to Valley Leadership for board leader recommendations,” Executive Director Christy Moore said. “We are excited to partner with alum Tom Egan and Esperanca to explore the LeaderLink process for linked nonprofits and volunteer leaders. This partnership will help to identify opportunities to make LeaderLink even more valuable to its users.”

Through the LeaderLink database, individuals interested in volunteering for board service and agencies recruiting board members can create profiles and be notified when the system detects a match between an individual and an agency. LeaderLink is available to all local community benefit agencies and to volunteer leaders who alumni of Valley Leadership or partnering agencies. Matches are determined based on several criteria, including but not limited to service area and population, geographic area, and professional experience.

“LeaderLink is going to be a valuable resource for Valley nonprofits,”said Tom Egan, president and CEO of Esperança. “We all struggle with board development from time to time and LeaderLink is going to help match qualified candidates with nonprofits who could really use their expertise and knowledge.”

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/press/esperancas-uses-valley-leaderships-leaderlink-to-build-board/feed/0Hygiene Drive to Combat Ebola in Sierra Leonehttp://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/hygiene-drive-to-combat-ebola-in-sierra-leone/
http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/hygiene-drive-to-combat-ebola-in-sierra-leone/#commentsWed, 24 Sep 2014 00:50:53 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4375Esperanca and BeaVan Charities, another local nonprofit that provides comprehensive solution to the grave problem of malnutrition in Sierra Leone, West Africa, have joined forces to collect much-needed hygiene supplies for the people of Sierra Leone. “The Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone and particularly the capital Freetown is getting worse,” said Tom Egan, president and CEO of Esperança. “The once commercial center of the country is being hit incredibly hard. Basic hygiene supplies are desperately needed. We’re coming together with BeaVan Charities to collect hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and basic cleaning supplies. Our goal is to send care packages weekly to the areas hardest hit.” As Esther Pratt with BeaVan Charities noted, “We’ve been told by our contacts in the area that they are lacking basic hygiene supplies. There is no cure for Ebola and as it stands only these small protective measures will help. We’re hoping the community will come together and help us collect supplies for the people in West Africa.” Here are the supplies that are greatly needed:

Anti-bacterial soap

Bleach based germicidal Clorox wipes

Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer, 4oz flip-cap bottle

PURELL Premoistened Sanitizing Hand Wipes, 5 x 7, 100/Box

Baby Wipes

Disposable Diapers

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes

Plastic Gloves

donations to purchase Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food (for children in quarantined communities that have already started experiencing food shortages)

Donations can be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., at Esperanca’s office, located at 1911 W. Earll Dr. Phoenix, AZ 85015 or you can make a donation by clicking donate now

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/hygiene-drive-to-combat-ebola-in-sierra-leone/feed/0Artist Plans Show to Benefit Esperançahttp://www.esperanca.org/news-and-events/artist-plans-show-to-benefit-esperanca/
http://www.esperanca.org/news-and-events/artist-plans-show-to-benefit-esperanca/#commentsTue, 23 Sep 2014 18:10:46 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4435Joe Cuello, a Los Angeles based artist is having a show on Friday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. at the Lotus Contemporary Art Gallery, located at 511 Roosevelt St. in Phoenix. His original pieces and limited prints will be available for purchase, with 10 percent of all sales going to Esperança. The event is presented by Fervor Records and part of Phoenix First Friday.

Joe Cuello is a talented music executive and local artist. He is a powerful creative force that has impacted the lives of countless songwriters and musicians. He worked with music hit shows and web platforms such as MTV, VH1, CMT, , and more. Recently, he left his music career to focus on his passion – art. His paintings from the most recent collection focus on his family and friends.

Fervor Records COO, Jeff Freundlich says, “Joe Cuello has been a huge champion of the Phoenix music scene and Fervor Records. He has played a large part in the launches of local acts Fayuca, Super Stereo and Tarik NuClothes. Fervor Records is extremely proud to support Joe in his artistic endeavors.”

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/news-and-events/artist-plans-show-to-benefit-esperanca/feed/0Canvas the World in Hopehttp://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/canvas-the-world-in-hope/
http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/canvas-the-world-in-hope/#commentsMon, 22 Sep 2014 16:25:31 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4419Joe Cuello will be holding a fundraiser with his creative works on October 3rd, 2014 at the Phoenix First Friday festivities for Esperanҫa. Cuello is a powerful creative force that has impacted the lives of countless songwriters and musicians. Mr. Cuello served as Sr. Vice President of Creative Music Integration at media juggernaut Viacom. Cuello worked tirelessly integrating music in hit TV shows and web platforms across MTV, VH1, CMT, and beyond. Cuello’s behind the scenes work has heavily influenced the music community in Arizona through his relationship with Phoenix indie label Fervor Records. The high-powered exec championed the likes of local acts Super Stereo and Fayuca helping to launch their careers on MTV. He also landed a multitude of songs from Fervor’s roster in countless shows across Viacom’s multiple networks.

Recently Cuello decided to leave the high-pressure corporate world to focus on his own artistry. A creative soul to his core, he quickly immersed himself in his passion for painting, a passion that had taken a back seat when his executive career skyrocketed. Now things come full circle as Fervor Records is able to showcase Mr. Cuello’s art. The label is proud to sponsor his Arizona gallery debut at Denise Fleisch’s Lotus Contemporary Art in downtown Phoenix. Cuello focuses on friends and family in his most recent collection, an intimate look at real people transcending environments.

Fervor Records COO, Jeff Freundlich says, “Joe Cuello has been a huge champion of the Phoenix music scene and Fervor Records. He has played a large part in the launches of Fayuca, Super Stereo and Tarik NuClothes. Fervor Records is extremely proud to support Joe in his artistic endeavors.

Cuello states, “The past year has been a watershed time for me creatively. The new work I’ve produced illustrates the deeply personal and yet distant connections we all have with individuals. The people I paint are friends, family and sometime strangers who for a moment feel connected to my life.”

]]>http://www.esperanca.org/esperanca-blog/canvas-the-world-in-hope/feed/0Esperança and BeaVan Charities Partner to Collect Much-Needed Hygiene Supplies for People Affected By Ebolahttp://www.esperanca.org/press/esperanca-and-beavan-charities-partner-to-collect-much-needed-hygiene-supplies-for-people-affected-by-ebola/
http://www.esperanca.org/press/esperanca-and-beavan-charities-partner-to-collect-much-needed-hygiene-supplies-for-people-affected-by-ebola/#commentsSun, 21 Sep 2014 01:12:26 +0000http://www.esperanca.org/?p=4380PHOENIX, Ariz. (August 21, 2014)… Esperança, an international nonprofit committed to improving the health and well being of the world’s poor and BeaVan Charities, another local nonprofit that provides comprehensive solutions to the grave problem of malnutrition in Sierra Leone, West Africa, have joined forces to collect much-needed hygiene supplies for the people of Sierra Leone.

“The Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone and particularly the capital Freetown is getting worse,” said Tom Egan, president and CEO of Esperança. “The once commercial center of the country is being hit incredibly hard. Basic hygiene supplies are desperately needed. We’re coming together with BeaVan Charities to collect hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and basic cleaning supplies. Our goal is to send care packages weekly to the areas hardest hit.”

As Esther Pratt with BeaVan Charities noted, “We’ve been told by our contacts in the area that they are lacking basic hygiene supplies. There is no cure for Ebola and as it stands only these small protective measures will help. We’re hoping the community will come together and help us collect supplies for the people in West Africa.”

Donations can be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., at Esperanca’s office, located at 1911 W. Earll Dr. Phoenix, AZ 85015 or you can make a donation online at www.WeTransformLives.org and 100% of your donation will go directly to help those people in Sierra Leone.

About BeaVan Charities

BeaVan Charities is a non-profit organization incorporated in Phoenix Arizona to provide a comprehensive solution to the grave problem of malnutrition in Sierra Leone, West Africa since the end of a decade long civil war. Our mission is to create an environment where children, pregnant and lactating mothers have access to nutritious foods and initiate sustainable agricultural and economic programs to alleviate their poverty and improve food security. To learn more, visit: http://www.beavancharities.com.

About Esperança

Since 1970, Esperança has been providing programs to improve the health and well being of the world’s poor. Headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., this international nonprofit provides volunteer surgical missions, health education, training of community health workers, home building, clean water projects, micro enterprise, agricultural development, dental treatment and prevention programs, and sends donated medical equipment and supplies to project sites around the world. Esperança’s goal is to build clean, sustainable and healthy communities worldwide. To learn more, visit: www.weTransformLives.org.